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subject matters
Michael Ealum at the Gallery at Screen Arts
by donald dusinberre    imartsyfartsy@gmail.com

      Recently, I took a trip to visit my favorite St. Augustine gallery, the Gallery at Screen Arts. Initially, I considered myself lucky to catch an exhibition near the end of its run, but it turns out that we will all have even more time to see it. Currently on display is the work of Michael Ealum, a talented and creative artist from the Jacksonville area, and the display of his work is being extended through August.

      The Gallery at Screen Arts is such a weird looking little space, but it performs its duties beautifully, and its director, Rob DePiazza, always packs the space with a large number of works from some really amazing local and national artists. It’s the kind of place that immediately abolishes any doubt that you’ll experience something fresh. Even without art on the walls, I believe that it still might vibrate with potential artistic energy.

      Michael Ealum is a painter who employs playful images, bold texture and soft colors to wonderful effect. The tactility of his canvases draws the viewer close to examine the way the paint is applied, while the playful images cause us to step back and contemplate the work as a whole.

      His exhibition is entitled “Subject Matters,” which might be intended to call our attention to the large subjects he often places in the extreme foreground. Often accompanying the focal point is a single prominent word or short phrase, which inevitably draws the viewer’s mind to certain “subject matters.”

      The interesting thing about Ealum’s subjects is that they don’t always strike the viewer with an obvious general meaning. In fact, the subjects and words within a painting seem to be purposely misleading or disconnected. For instance, I did not perceive an immediate correlation between a Smurf, a branch and a glass of lemonade labeled with the word “pretend,” but I often assume that, even if the artist is choosing purposely non-sequitur objects, there has to be something that links them. So I’m left with the puzzlement this painting causes, and when I recall the image, I immediately begin a new effort to decipher it.

      Each of Ealum’s paintings is distinct from the rest. Many artists create variations on a theme, which makes their works too homogenous. I believe that an artist can even go so far as to negate his/her own reason for creating art in the first place, but Ealum is adept at balancing the unalterable characteristics of his painting style with a diverse visual vocabulary. As he mentions in his artist statement, he is fascinated with thrift store purchases, and they often end up in his paintings, whether physically or in spirit. He retains a thread of familiarity through most of his paintings while developing a distinct image on each canvas.

      Take a trip down to St. Augustine (or Staug, as I enjoy calling it) and check out the current exhibition at the Gallery at Screen Arts. The gallery is located at 228 West King Street.

Entertaining U Newspaper, eujacksonville.com. Published by N2U Publishing, Inc. 3101 University Blvd., South #201 Jacksonville, FL 32216. Copyright N2U Publishing, Inc. 2006. Reproduction of any artwork or copy prepared by N2U Publishing, Inc. is strictly prohibited without written consent of the publisher. We will not be responsible for errors and/or omissions, the Publisher's liability for error will not exceed the cost of space occupied by the error. Articles for publication are welcome and may be sent to the following address: 3101 University Blvd., South #201 Jacksonville, FL 32216. We cannot assume responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts and photographs. For information concerning classified advertising phone 904-730-3003.